On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 14:41:18 -0500, "Bert Meadley"
wrote:

I am interested in purchasing a RIB inflatable. I have a 9.9 motor and
intend on carrying both on St Croix
davits Is there a site where I can find out which ones will plane quickly
with about 400 lbs load ?
Thanks Bert

If it's any help, I have a Doel-style fin on my old 1980s Honda BF100
9.9 hp 4-stroke long-shaft. I have the engine mounted in the first of
four potential tilt angles.

It's on a Yachtline R310 Zodiac (11 odd feet) RIB. I'm a big *******,
about 250 lbs. With a full five gallon tank, an AGM battery and all
the boat hooks, oars, line, wee anchor, "crash box" with flares, VHF,
GPS, heaving line and whatnot I carry, it must run close to 350 lbs.
of "cargo".

I can't get on the plane easily unless I shift my arse forward on the
tube to nearly the mid-ship seat. The RIB rides very high in the bow
and "wants" to plane at about six knots (SOG on the GPS) but can't
quite make it.

Once I move forward a bit, however, the Zodiac's bow rises, hits six
knots, settles down and planes at about 13-15 knots in a flat sea. I
can throttle back a bit once on the plane...once the RIB has stopped
"displacing", it essentially skims at speed. Bags o' fun when the wind
is crap for sailing.

If I have the wife (105 lbs) aboard, we get on the plane more
sedately, but eventually get there.

Planing in a RIB with a borderline motor is in my opinion a matter of
trim far more than total weight. Getting the Doel fin did not improve
my planing speed, but it did help me plane quicker and allows me to
plane at a lower throttle setting...i.e. keep planing at 3/4 full
throttle instead of wide open.

It's an older PVC Zodiac and a heavier (105 lbs.) Honda...you may have
better results with newer gear, but the desire to plane versus the
hassle of a heavier engine is your call. I rarely remove my Honda from
its transom, so I don't care. When I go cruising, I'll want something
smaller because I will be hauling the motor AND the RIB on and off the
boat at every anchorage.

I will say, however, I don't regret getting a RIB. My next tender will
be a Hypalon one, but still a RIB.

YMMV.
R.